Unsure of any entitlements

Marie2020

Hi,

Can anyone advise if I and my family would be entitled to any welfare allowances? I am soon to finish maternity leave, I had arranged with a creche (before Covid 19) to mind my baby full time. My partner is a full time mature student. I will proceed with this arrangement if I have to, my job before I went on maternity leave was highly stressful and involved long hours. Would I be entitled to any welfare allowances if I were to change to a (lower paid) job/reduce hours/stay at home? I am just trying to understand if I have any options.

Thank you.

splinter65

Hi Marie.
If you have a job to go back too and you don’t go to it then you can’t get a Jobseekers payment because one of the conditions is that you are looking for and available for full time work.
If you don’t go back to work then you’ve failed that condition.
If you can find another job with at least 19 hours per week then you will get WFP.
It’s a top up to your wages from SW and it’s calculated on your weekly family income and the number of children you have.
What income does your husband have?

lughildanach

Marie2020 wrote: »

Hi,

Can anyone advise if I and my family would be entitled to any welfare allowances? I am soon to finish maternity leave, I had arranged with a creche (before Covid 19) to mind my baby full time. My partner is a full time mature student. I will proceed with this arrangement if I have to, my job before I went on maternity leave was highly stressful and involved long hours. Would I be entitled to any welfare allowances if I were to change to a (lower paid) job/reduce hours/stay at home? I am just trying to understand if I have any options.

Thank you.

It's not quite true that you can't get Jobseekers payment if you don't return to your old job. If you can show good reason (wanting to reduce your hours would not be considered good enough), you can get Jobseekers Benefit, as long as you are looking for full time work.

Even if they don't accept your reason as good enough, the most they can disaualify you from Jobseekers for walking away from a job is 9 weeks, after that you can get payment as long as you can show you are looking for full-time work in line with your age, qualifications and experience.

If there were any health reasons that stopped you from returning to your job, but allowed you to take alternative full time work, then you should still qualify. But it's very important to emphasise that you must be available for and looking for full-time work. You may be required to explain who would look after the child/children in the event that you found work.

Marie2020

Thanks both for your replies.

My partner is a full time student and does not earn an income.

I am not sure what would qualify as a good enough reason to receive jobseeker allowance? I suffer from anxiety and am on medication; I think going back to my current job would make this worse and would like to change jobs but need the security of social welfare in between jobs. I am not sure how this would be viewed by social welfare? I can't really afford a 9 week wait for social welfare as I am the sole earner in the family.

MissShihTzu

I would go back to work, and from that look for another position. You can't afford to be without money for the family, and there will be a bit of a wait for funds to come through from Welfare. To me, that's the only option.

Loveinapril

As the sole earner in a house with a student husband and having had two maternity leaves in that time, I totally understand where you are coming from. If I was you, I would look at parental leave one or two days a week while you are looking for other work. The stress of having no money will be all encompassing when you have a tiny baby relying on you.

splinter65

Marie2020 wrote: »

Thanks both for your replies.

My partner is a full time student and does not earn an income.

I am not sure what would qualify as a good enough reason to receive jobseeker allowance? I suffer from anxiety and am on medication; I think going back to my current job would make this worse and would like to change jobs but need the security of social welfare in between jobs. I am not sure how this would be viewed by social welfare? I can't really afford a 9 week wait for social welfare as I am the sole earner in the family.

Another condition of Jobseekers is that you are “fit for full time work”. Emphasis again on “full time”.
If your GP is agreeable that you are suffering from anxiety to the extent that you couldn’t be expected to work then you can apply for Illness Benefit instead of Jobseekers.
Subject to your wages in 2018 you will get:
€203 (yourself)+
€147 (husband)+
€36 ( each child).

You need to discuss this with your GP. You can get it for up to 2 years.

lughildanach

Marie2020 wrote: »

Thanks both for your replies.

My partner is a full time student and does not earn an income.

I am not sure what would qualify as a good enough reason to receive jobseeker allowance? I suffer from anxiety and am on medication; I think going back to my current job would make this worse and would like to change jobs but need the security of social welfare in between jobs. I am not sure how this would be viewed by social welfare? I can't really afford a 9 week wait for social welfare as I am the sole earner in the family.

It may well be that you are not fit to do your current job because of your mental health, but are entirely fit enough to do other full-time work. If this is the case, you would still be entitled to qualify for Jobseekers Benefit.

Illness Benefit may be easier to get (and is paid at the same rate as Jobseekers Benefit, and for maximum 2 years instead of 9 months), so it might be a better option depending on your health. And there's nothing stopping you from looking for work while you are on Illness Benefit, but of course if you find it, the payment will stop.

It comes down to what your doctors says. If they say that you are not fit to do any work, then Illness Benefit is appropriate. If they say you can still do full-time work, but just not your current job, then it is reasonable to give up your job and look for alternative. But you need to be careful, the Department do not like people giving up employment, and you may be refused and have to appeal to get your entitlement. Illness Benefit may be an easier option. Just note that the first week of Illness Benefit is not paid, so if you have no money for the first week, you may have to go to Community Welfare Officer for SWA payment.